Studies in American Non-Fiction

March 26, 2014

MOVIE REVIEW ‘MAN ON WIRE’
Funambulism at its Finest

“Skill is successfully walking a tightrope between the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center. Intelligence is not trying.”- Marilyn vos Savant. This quote can almost sum up James Marsh’s film “Man on Wire” about a French funambulist named Philippe Petit who is on a quest to accomplish the impossible.

With a goal in mind, Mr. Petit does whatever it takes to accomplish it. Literally. Through this film and Mr. Petit’s endeavors, Mr. Marsh shows us viewers what everyone’s motto in life should be. This quote from the film by Mr. Petit says it all: “To me it is so simple, that life should be lived on the edge of life. You have to exercise rebellion. To refuse to taper yourself to rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day, every year every idea as a true challenge, and then you are going to live your life on the tight rope. “

From France to the Heart of New York City, after 6 and a half years of dreaming and 8 months of planning Mr. Petit and his sidekicks go on to execute a memorable and dangerous stunt that goes down in history. Mr. Petit’s exhilafying journey showed in Mr. Marsh’s film raises no question as to why “Man on Wire” was a well-deserved winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary.

Prior to watching this film or whenever the Twin Towers are brought up, the first thing that comes to mind is the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. I’m sure many viewers can agree. James Marsh does a great job at focusing on the good of the twin towers and allowing us viewers to remember them for more than the sad event that took place on Sept.11, 2001 through Mr. Petit’s extravagant